Water heating is a thermodynamic process that uses an energy source to heat water above its initial temperature. Typical domestic uses of hit water include cooking, cleaning, bathing, and space heating. Many homes use appliances that provide a continual supply of hot water known as water heaters, hot water tanks, or boilers, depending on region and application. Water heaters may use various energy sources for heating water, such as fossil fuels, solid fuels, electricity, solar energy, heat pumps, hot water heat recycling, or geothermal heating.
In household and commercial usage, most North American water heaters have traditionally been the tank type, also known as storage water heaters, consisting of a cylindrical container that keeps water continually hot and ready to use. It is common for water heater systems to utilize pressurized systems in order to achieve efficiency of operation. Pressurized components can potentially explode and cause significant damage, injury or death if the certain safety devices are not installed or if certain components fail. A safety device called a temperature and pressure relief (T&P or TPR) valve is normally fitter to the top of the water heater to expel water if the temperature or pressure within the water heater becomes too high. Typically, a discharge pipe is connected to the TPR valve to direct the flow of discharged water to a drain, typically a nearby floor drain, or outside the living space.
Water damage can be very disastrous for a household. Not only do the physical portions of the house such as walls, woodwork, drywall, carpeting, and the like get ruined, but personal belongings such as furniture, appliances, and the like get destroyed as well. While water damage due to rain or flooded rivers is beyond control in most cases, a great deal of damage can occur from water heaters should the TPR valve actuate either due to operating problems or a faulty valve. The piping leading from water heaters simply splashes on the nearby floor with hopes that it makes it to a drain. Unfortunately, many releases go unnoticed for long periods of time, and can result in thousands of dollars of damage. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which users can be instantly alerted to water releases from hot water tank relief valves in an effort to address the problem as described above. Altering the occupants of the household to a discharge of water from the water heater may result in mitigation of water damage. A related problem can occur if the TPR valve does not completely fail, but simply has a leak. This does not create such an immediate issue as with a full TPR valve activation or failure, but over time can still be expensive due to the unnecessary loss of water and electric energy if left unnoticed.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a water heater pressure relief valve alarm which sounds an audible alarm upon detecting activation of the TPR valve, and which is easily installed and removed.